Alabama Governor Signs Bill Expanding Access to CBD Oil

On Wednesday, Alabama's Governor Robert Bentley signed a bill into law that gives patients with seizures and other debilitating conditions the freedom to possess CBD oil in the state without fear of prosecution.

The legislation, also known as Leni's Law, passed through the state House of Representatives and state Senate last week, with votes of 95-to-4 and 29-to-3 respectively. The bill was introduced earlier this year by State Representative Mike Ball as an expansion of Carly's Law—a 2015 measure which allows specific patients to participate in a cannabis oil study overseen by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the problem with the existing law was that not every patient was able to enroll in the study, including some of the families who had pushed for Carly's Law. The new law will allow all qualified patients with debilitating conditions to possess cannabidiol oil with up to three percent THC.

While Leni's Law might be a step in the right direction, critics have quickly pointed out that because this new law does not come with a cultivation and distribution provision, it forces families to smuggle cannabis oil in from a legal states.

Still, many are applauding the legislation's passage.

“We are incredibly grateful to the state of Alabama for giving families like our the opportunity to find relief from life-altering and debilitating conditions, and hope for a better quality of life,” Amy Young, whose five-year-old daughter Leni is the inspiration for the law, said in a message.